Airbound, a drone technology company headquartered in Bengaluru, announced a round of seed funding from lead investor Lightspeed that will enable development of a drone-based delivery solution.
The company says its proprietary blended wing body tailsitter drone design makes its solutions three times lighter and four times more aerodynamically efficient than conventional alternatives. Whereas its competitors tend to design drones more focused on speed, Airbound aims to drastically reduce delivery costs by providing a solution that is lighter, safer and more economically viable than other products.
“We are proud to have developed not only an industry-leading delivery drone, but also a highly efficient, scalable manufacturing process,” Naman Pushp, Airbound’s founder and CEO, said in a statement. “We developed new methods to manufacture carbon fiber, which allow us to reduce the weight of our Airframe from 6 pounds to 400 grams. Our goal isn’t just to build a great drone — we want to create a world where delivery is essentially free.”
Having already covered thousands of kilometers with its drones, Airbound is initially focused on completing routine medical deliveries, such as transporting blood samples from health centers to testing labs. After scaling its solution, the company plans to expand into food and grocery delivery.
